Handling disposable medical devices with sharp piercing needles for drawing blood and/or administering medication can be extremely risky for healthcare workers, providers, and patients. For example, any accidental needle puncture of the skin can expose a person, e.g. a healthcare worker, to pathogens such as hepatitis, HIV, or other infectious diseases, while exposing the employer, e.g., the hospital, to legal liability. Providing safe and convenient handling of such devices to reduce the risk of accidental needle sticks is a goal of most manufacturers of medical devices with needle piercing elements.
One such commonly used blood-drawing device has a double-ended needle fastened to a holder which has male threads that engage female threads at one end of an open tube. The tube holds an evacuated vial (Vacutainer™) for receiving a blood sample. One end of the hollow needle is position to puncture the Vacutainer™cap. The other end punctures a vein to draw blood. After venipuncture a Vacutainer™ is inserted into the open end of the tube, causing blood to fill the Vacutainer™. Once blood drawing is complete, the healthcare worker removes the device and sets it down to attend to the patient. The healthcare worker then disposes of the needle-tube combination in a sharps container, or unscrews the needle and disposes of it in a sharps container to reuse the Vacutainer™ tube.
This fluid collection system exposes the healthcare worker to accidental punctures of the skin by the used needle. Proximity to the used needle increases such risk, and unscrewing the needle for Vacutainer™ reuse further increases such risk. Various mechanisms and devices have been developed to improve the safety of such collection devices. Such mechanisms and devices, however, are relatively expensive. Hospitals presently prohibit tube reuse because of possible contamination. An expensive needle separation device is therefore not practical.
Another such device is a hypodermic syringe. Healthcare workers are now protected against accidental punctures of the skin from syringes in one of two ways: either the used needle is covered by a protective device, or it is retracted into the syringe body, usually by a spring-loaded release operated by the worker. In the case of covers, the technician's fingers are close to the needle, presenting a risk of an accidental stick. The cover adds to the cost of the syringe, which is another distinct disadvantage. Retractable used needles are very safe; however they are costly. In addition, when the syringe body is discarded into a sharps container, higher costs per syringe result from increased container costs and increased container disposal cost.
Accordingly, an improved cost effective device is needed to reduce the risks of accidental needle punctures of the skin.